The title of Lord Mulgrave's clever novel is sufficiently explained by
the hero, Lord Castleton, a man of high refinement, marrying an
unsophisticated, uneducated peasant girl. The scenes and incidents of
her introduction into the fashionable world are replete with humour, yet
true to the life. Thus, how naturally are her new Ladyship's
embarrassments told:--
"There were some points on which she would even have endeavoured to
extract knowledge from the servants; but dreading, from her former
habits, nothing so much as too great a familiarity in this respect,
Castleton had made it one of his first desires to her, that she would
confine her communications with them, to asking for what she wanted. To
this, as to every other desire of his, she yielded, as far as she could,
implicit obedience; but it was often a great exertion on her part to do
so. Of her own maid she had felt from the first a considerable awe; and
to such a degree did this continue, that she could not conceive any
fatigue from labour equal to the burthen of her assistance. Being
naturally of a disposition both active and obliging, it was quite new to
her to have any thing done for her which she could do for herself. For
some time she had as great a horror of touching a bell-rope, as others
have in touching the string of a shower-bath; and when services were
obtruded on her by the domestics as a matter of course, she had much
difficulty in checking the exuberance of her gratitude.
"At home, Big Betsey, mentioned before as the maid of all work, never
considered as any part of her multitudinous duties the waiting on Miss
Lucy, who she not only said 'mought moind herself,' but sometimes called
to her, almost authoritatively, 'to lend a hauping haund.' It was,
probably, in consequence of the habit thus engendered, that Lady
Castleton was one day caught 'lending a helping hand' to an over-loaded
under laundry-maid, who had been sent by her superior with a
wicker-bound snowy freight of her Ladyship's own superfine linen. But of
all the irksome feelings caused by Lucy's new position, there was none
from which she suffered more, than _waiting_ to be _waited on_. And it
was hinted in the hall, that when my Lord was not in the room, my Lady
got up to help herself to what she wanted from the sideboard!! And it
was whispered in the female conclave of the housekeeper's room, that her
Lady-ship seemed even to like to--lace her own stays!!"
Again, after Lady Castleton receiving a visit from a ton-ish family, his
Lordship asks:--